Current affairs

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto's keynote address at the Fletcher School Commencement May 21, 2023.

The Council of Europe has long been monitoring Russia’s alarming situation of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. For many years, the Council tried to exert influence over Russia by keeping the country as a Member and within the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). However, Russia launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 was the last straw, and the Council decided to expel Russia only three weeks later. Now, the Council of Europe is once again showing its ability and political will to support Ukraine.

As of 15 May, the email addresses of the staff members at Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and missions abroad will be, as a rule, in the format [email protected] The change is part of the overall harmonisation of the Government’s email addresses.

Office of the President of the Republic of Finland Press release 18/2023 - 12 May 2023 President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö will participate in the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe in Reykjavik on 16–17 May 2023.

Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Transport and Communications Minna Kivimäki has been nominated a candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). There are altogether seven candidates for the post.

On 9 May 2023, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) issued a judgement on a case concerning the processing of personal data. The Court held that there has been no violation of Article 6 (right to a fair trial) or of Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs completes Finland’s relief effort in Sudan on Thursday 27 April.

Finland will join NATO on Tuesday 4 April. We collected the daily events and links to live webcasts from Brussels.

On 4 April, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will deposit Finland's instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty. Minister Haavisto will deposit the instrument of accession in Brussels with the Government of the United States. Finland will become a NATO member country at the moment of the deposit. Minister Haavisto will also represent Finland at the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs starting on the same day.

A total of 42,198 eligible voters cast their vote in advance at Finland’s missions and offices abroad in this year’s parliamentary elections.